It's been a race against the clock to have the North Gong surf club up and running ahead of the UCI Road World Championships in September.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But it's still unclear if the race might have come and gone before the club opens its doors.
The original completion date of the $10 million project was mid-July but a Wollongong City Council spokesperson says the end of August is now more likely.
"The refurbishment works on the North Wollongong Surf Club building are on track and, provided we get good weather, we anticipate works to be completed by the end of August," the council spokesperson said.
"On site, the focus is on installing the last of the windows and doors, flooring and tiling.
"We're painting and starting work on installing electrical lighting and plumbing.
"Work has commenced on painting the exterior of the surf club which will continue over the next few weeks."
Surf lifesaving club president David Meredith says the club hopes to be operational by the start of the surf season.
"We're confident the ground level will be ready for operation by late August but the function area upstairs won't open until sometime next year.
"The community is going to be really impressed by the refurbished club and we hope it will attract new members," he said.
New showers, a club canteen and a fully functional space to store and secure Surf Life Saving equipment are among the new changes.
"The club now has the best views of the water so it's going to make patrolling the beach much easier," Mr Meredith said.
The local heritage site is 86 years old and this is the first refurbishment it's had in its history.
Work is still underway on the new sea wall which will include stepped seating, a new boat ramp and a shared pathway.
A Wollongong Council spokesperson says stage 1 of seawall works is underway but the project won't be finished until the end of the year.
"We've installed the compacted base layer and triton mattresses which will protect the new seawall from erosion.
"The next phase of the project will see work start on the concrete base layer and installation of the precast concrete bleachers over the top.
"Works on the seawall have been impacted by the recent weather conditions, high tides and sea swell.
"With good weather, we're on track for the seawall to be completed by the end of the year, and in time for North Wollongong Beach's peak summer season."
- We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
